Giants lose Holliday, rebuffed by LaRoche

Not a good day for the Gigantes on the free agent trail.

Matt Holliday's signing by the Cardinals illustrates why they are perennial contenders and the Giants are not. Cardinals could have gone cheap, but they focused on Holliday and let DeRosa set sail to 'Frisco.

Another potential power bat turned his nose up at a Giants two-year offer when Adam LaRoche decided that perhaps the Orioles have more cash stuffed in their mattress than the Giants. We shall see. Signing LaRoche would allow the Giants to leave Pablo Sandoval at 3B and use DeRosa in one of the corner OF spots.

Holliday would have made the Giants a serious contender. LaRoche would allow put the Giants in the hunt. The Giants responded to LaRoche's snub by saying they would examine other options to secure a middle of the order bat. I don't see any other veteran bats out their that make enough of an impact to block the path of the prospects coming up the system.

I could see the Giants pick up Yorvit Torrealba as insurance against Posey/Whiteside being over matched. He wouldn't be much worse offensively than Molina at a better price. Plus he would know his role.

On a side note, Randy Johnson is expected to announce his retirement. Pencil him in for the Hall of Fame in five years, no doubter. His presence had to be good for the young left-handers the Giants have coming up.